How to Refinish Aluminum

Refinishing aluminum can bring back the shine and appeal in homes, cars, boats, RVs or anything that you have that has become dull or painted through the years. To refinish aluminum, it is a two-step process. You must first clean the aluminum and then refinish it to the original shine and luster.

Things You'll Need

  • Steel wool
  • Enviro-magic aluminum cleaner or equivalent
  • Mild abrasive sponge
  • Soft cloth towel
  • Everbrite protective coating or equivalent
  • Non-abrasive sponge
  • Use the steel wool to remove any paint chips or debris that is difficult to remove with a sponge. Using a product that is more abrasive could cause scratches in the aluminum. Take your steel wool and rub it across the aluminum, back and fourth. Put pressure on the wool so that deep down dirt and caked on paint will come off easily.

  • Use Enviro Magic aluminum cleaner or an equivalent aluminum cleaner. You can find these products online or in local hardware, department or auto stores. Enviro Magic aluminum cleaner removes deep down grim, dirt and dust. It will even add a shine to your aluminum. If you choose to use another aluminum cleaning product, be sure to read all instructions on the bottle before continuing.

  • Spray the cleaner onto your aluminum. Let the liquid sit for about three minutes. Take your sponge and, using the mild abrasive end, scrub your aluminum. A deep cleansing will remove all the grime that have been present for years. This will also remove any mild paint chips that are still there.

  • Wipe the aluminum dry with one of the soft cloth towels. You will need to have the surface clean and dry before you add the refinishing product.

  • Use your Everbrite Protective Coating or an equivalent for your refinishing product. The Everbrite Protective Coating will help against sun damage, weather conditions and climate conditions. These include heavy rains, salt-water breezes or high humidity areas. The aluminum shine will be long lasting and simple to apply a new coat if the old one is fading. If you are using another refinishing product, be sure to read all directions before applying the aluminum refinisher.

  • Pour some of the Everbrite Protective Coating onto your sponge. Use your sponge to refinish the aluminum with the coating. You will want to spread the protective coating over the aluminum evenly. Then let dry. This could take about an hour to four hours depending on your location. Then repeat this step to add another coat over your aluminum. This will ensure that you did not miss a spot with the Everbrite Protective Coating product.